Focus on MALI

Country-focused Bulletins

November 13, 2017 USA/Sahel: Questions Asked, Unasked, Half-Answered
The U.S. military presence in Africa, which has been growing steadily since the years
following the 9/11 attack, has been having a spotlight in U.S. media after the death of
four U.S. soldiers in Niger on October 4. But despite numerous questions raised, and
the prominent attention given to the characteristically obtuse and insensitive
response from the White House, the questions raised have been at best half-answered. And
fundamental questions about counterterrorism strategy and U.S. policy were left
unasked in the Washington-focused debate.

December 1, 2015 Africa/Global: Changing "the Media"
"I've thought a lot about the outrage over unequal media coverage
when it comes to attacks in the Western world vs death in 'other'
black and brown countries. I cringed when Barack Obama called the
Paris attacks an attack on 'all humanity'--as if brutal attacks in
Pakistan, Lebanon, Nigeria, Kenya and Somalia and Mexico are not
quite up to that benchmark. I agree that we in the media need to do
a better job ... [but] I can't help but think that the 'Why didn't
the media care about _____' stories will come, generate outrage
clicks and shares, and pass, without people really taking the time
to examine their own media consumption habits. ... the stories were
written, you just didn't click." - Karen Attiah, Nov. 17, 2015

April 17, 2014 Mali: Polls Show Turn to Optimism
"In an Afrobarometer survey in December 2012, three quarters of adult
Malians were worried that the country was moving in 'the wrong
direction.' At that time, at the depths of a profound national
crisis, most Malians thought the future looked bleak. A year later,
however, a follow-up survey reveals newfound hope in the future. By
December 2013, two thirds of all Malians now consider that that the
country is headed in the 'right direction.'"